The Foodbank Pantry | What's New in Food Relief?

"Rent or food?"

Anna*, a single parent juggling two jobs, clutches her meagre grocery list: "Rent took everything this week. We'll manage with noodles, but what about my kids?"  

Her story echoes through thousands of Western Australian households, caught in a cruel vice of soaring rent and empty cupboards. 

The 2023 WACOSS Cost of Living Report shows what we’ve been saying for months: that surging rent prices are pushing households, particularly those on fixed incomes and government support, to the brink.  

Here’s what the latest data means for Western Australians.

Mobile Foodbank location updates

As the needs of our community evolve, so does our Mobile Foodbank. With a continued focus on supporting your clients, we’re making some slight adjustments to our routes. Here’s what you need to know:

To provide focused support and resources, our stops at Lotteries House in Joondalup and Salvation Army in Heathridge will now be held on Thursdays only. This allows us to dedicate more attention and assistance to your clients during these visits.

Resilience, hope and a pantry full of kindness

Neto's smile radiated warmth as he stood in the Mobile Foodbank queue. But behind it, a deeper story unfolded. "Foodbank has been helping me for so many years," he shared. "I’ve been coming here for 3 and half years, since COVID hit."

The echoes of past hardship reverberated in his words: 12-hour days that barely kept the bills paid, the sudden sting of job loss, and the gnawing fear of not having enough for his children. This is his story.

Information in translated languages

We often say that hunger doesn't have a postcode, but it also doesn't have a language. Given the diversity we see in our community, from those seeking refuge to diaspora communities, there has been an increasing need to develop information that's accessible to those whose first language isn't English.

With this in mind we've recently developed five translated flyers to help explain who we are and what we do. With information available in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Hindi, Italian and Vietnamese, you're welcome to share these flyers with anyone you see or support to help them understand how they can access food relief.

When hunger hits home, pets don't get left behind

Do you know how many food-insecure households have pets? At two-thirds, that's a huge amount of people already doing it tough needing extra support. Fortunately, this is support we're able to provide them thanks to the incredible donations from pet care donors like Mars Petcare, Royal Canin and Nestlé Purina Petcare Australia.

Donations like these you see here mean families are able to look after and support the furry friends who provide them with love, companionship and emotional care.

Give a Feed

A hamper like this means so much to households choosing between food and rent.

Over the holiday period, we were able to fill over 4,524 Western Australian pantries with hampers of essential food and groceries raised through Give A Feed.

Thank you to our charity partners who ensured these hampers made it to those who needed it most in their communities. Together, we made sure 4,524 more Western Australian families didn’t have to go without.

Hungry and unheard

85 per cent of food insecurity in Western Australia is caused by the cost of living. Two thirds seeking help are women. These aren’t numbers, they’re heartbreaking realities made worse by the lack of financial literacy skills.

We recently spoke to Business News about the disproportionate impact of financial illiteracy on hardship for women aged over 45.

Many of these women face the additional challenge of juggling household finances, caregiving duties, and escaping difficult situations.

Unlocking doors with Fee-Free TAFE

Break down financial barriers to career growth for your clients with Fee-Free TAFE.

Tuition-free diplomas, certificates and short courses are now available for people looking to train, reskill or upskill in key growth industries. Everyone is encouraged to apply – locals and eligible visa holders alike.

See what courses are available and eligibility for each course online.

Footprints to food security

We recently welcomed Moorditj Djena to Foodbank WA. The service they provide is crucial: free travelling podiatry, nutrition, and diabetes education to Aboriginal people across Perth metro.

Together, we're committed to finding new and better ways to support Indigenous communities on the ground who are facing food insecurity and health challenges. United we can build bridges, nourish communities and create a brighter future for everyone who calls Western Australia home.

Removing barriers to relief

16 per cent of people facing food stress cannot access relief because of limited transport options. We don’t believe your postcode should ever determine whether you’ll have food on the table tonight.

Our new handy bus route from High Wycombe station is an affordable solution. Between our Perth branch, Mobile Foodbanks, regional branches and now public handy transport, accessing food relief is easier than ever before. Simply jump on the bus and we’ll see you soon.

Meet your microscopic Hunger Ghrelins

In your tummy, deep down inside, there’s a rumbling and grumbling feeling. A hollow feeling. This is the call of the ghrelins, your hunger hormones. The hungrier you are, the higher your levels of ghrelin. You won’t see them, but you’ll feel them. When you satisfy your hunger, the ghrelins' numbers will retreat. 

But for one in five hungry Western Australia kids, their ghrelins are still multiplying. Will you do something to feed the ghrelins of hungry kids? Keep reading to explore the full story behind your hunger ghrelins.

Speedy Cheese Muffins

Handy as a lunchbox filler and great on the go, Speedy Cheese Muffins are packed full of flavour and goodness for those picky ones in our lives.

Liking our social pages or sharing our posts is another way to get behind Foodbank WA and show your support. Follow us!

Foodbank WA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work. We recognise their spiritual and cultural connection to country and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.